The present invention relates to an improved construction and method of making the lowers of molded footwear and more particularly to an integrally molded sole and heel construction having portions of extra durability disposed on the undersurface at the areas of greatest stress and wear.
Various processes and constructions are known involving the injection of plastics and/or the molding and curing of rubber to produce molded footwear. In most of these processes, the uppers and lowers of the shoes are generally constructed to simulate parts previously made of leather. Of late, athletic shoes of the type with cleats or spikes attached to the undersurface, such as baseball, football, or golf shoes, have had the spike elements simulated by studs molded integrally with the sole and heel portions. Such shoes, as all shoes, are subjected to localized stresses, abrasion and wear during use which cause certain areas to wear out much more rapidly than others, shortening the useable life of individual shoes, and of pairs of such shoes, that are otherwise in good condition. In the past, different means have been added to the undersurfaces of shoes, typically metal tabs or rubber plugs, to act to reinforce the areas of extreme wear. However, such added means have not been found to be suitable or economical for use with molded shoes and particularly those of the spikeless type as the studs on the soles and heels are exposed to extreme stresses.